Jump to content

What is the best LTM lens possible?


Recommended Posts

Best for what, Albert? Shooting test charts? Low light? portraits? landscape? "best", per se is a meaningless concept. You must regard lenses as an artist does his palette, or more so his brushes. Each has a different look, or fingerprint. Each is more or less appropriate for capturing the vision of the photographer at the time. Each delivers a diffferent result, more or less appropriate to the subject being captured, and more importantly depicted.

 

Watch two photographers at work. They may stand in the same places, and to the layman be taking the same shots, but there are many variables between the moment and the end result. The lens is just one.

 

There is no "best".

 

Regards,

 

Bill

Link to post
Share on other sites

Best for what, Albert? Shooting test charts? Low light? portraits? landscape? "best", per se is a meaningless concept. You must regard lenses as an artist does his palette, or more so his brushes. Each has a different look, or fingerprint. Each is more or less appropriate for capturing the vision of the photographer at the time. Each delivers a diffferent result, more or less appropriate to the subject being captured, and more importantly depicted.

 

Watch two photographers at work. They may stand in the same places, and to the layman be taking the same shots, but there are many variables between the moment and the end result. The lens is just one.

 

There is no "best".

 

Regards,

 

Bill

 

Cool, I just wanted "best" in your own opinion. What you think is best for yourself.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Leicas Freund
Cool, I just wanted "best" in your own opinion. What you think is best for yourself.

Take a M or R - there you find good objektives.

Only a few LTM-lenses of new construction were offered in the 90s.

In other case - take that objektive you have.

Try and you will see. Perhapst ist is good for/to you.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Take a M or R - there you find good objektives.

Only a few LTM-lenses of new construction were offered in the 90s.

In other case - take that objektive you have.

Try and you will see. Perhapst ist is good for/to you.

 

 

Can you tell me more about the new Leica LTM built in the 90's?

 

Are those limited run production? If so, why?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Leicas Freund
Can you tell me more about the new Leica LTM built in the 90's??

Sorry - not at this time

Are those limited run production? If so, why?

Yes - limited production. - I think about 10 years ago.

Because they were as expensive as the Objektives with M-Mount.

I think, you can get more Information by a special - Leica-Dealer.

In Germany I would ask "Meister bei Leica" - in Hamburg.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Can you tell me more about the new Leica LTM built in the 90's?

 

Around the year 2000, maybe in 1999, Leica built the current Summicron 2/35asph, the current Summicron 2/50 and the then current Summilux 1.4/50 (not the asph) in LTM, allegedly 500 of each, all in chrome. The original request for these lenses apparently came from Japan, and many of the lenses were sold over there, but some found their way to the rest of the world.

 

Are those limited run production? If so, why?

 

Yes, those were limited production. Why? Well, Leica does not make LTM-cameras anymore, so why should they offer LTM lenses on a regular basis? I think this was a once in a lifetime chance to get hold of modern Leica lenses in LTM. They actually sold slow, and you may still find them once in a while if you look hard, but eventually I believe they will go up in price, as they are a true rarity.

 

Also, what is the sharpest Voigtlander LTM lens?

 

There is no such thing as a sharp Voigtlander lens. Just kiddin..:)

 

Andy

Link to post
Share on other sites

Albert,

 

Yes Leica did a limited edition run of LTM lenses - I saw a 35 recently on sale in London, s/h at £1350. Unfortunately they are attracting a premium price because of their relative rarity. Personally I think that Leica should offer some more, or even offer them as 'a la carte'. As we've seen through this forum there are a lot of us LTM users out there.

 

For what its worth I think you'd be hard pressed to find a sharper original LTM lens than the beautiful 5cm 3.5 Elmar. I've also got a 2.8 Elmar, and a Summitar, and I'm going to do some side by side comparisons which I'll post here soon.

 

Aside from the Leica lenses there are of course the Voigtlander lenses which offer excellent sharpness and modern coatings.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Yep, just need need the opinion of a few good men! What LTM lens is the sharpest possible one in terms of resolution? or color rendition? or chromatic abberation correction?

 

Also, what is the sharpest Voigtlander LTM lens?

 

Regarding the LTM from Leica, think there is sort of standard answers

 

1) The (limited prod?) LTM of few years ago, based on current BMs

2) Before that, the lenses of the '50-'60 produced both in TM & BM : say, the Cron 50:

3) Classical LTMs : Elmar 50

 

strictly personal opinion:

 

1) no direct experience

2) Elmar 135 last (is very sharp at 8-11, superbe in color rendition)

3) Tete a Tete Elmar 50 2,8 and Summaron 35 3,5

Link to post
Share on other sites

Many moons ago, some asked the late lamented Modern Photography which was the best lens they ever tested. The answer was the 50mm rigid Summicron which had the best resolution of all by far. So if you want an original LTM lens, that's the one to get. Having owned one for 40 years, I'll confirm MP's findings. I compared it with the Summicron-R, which is an excellent lens in its own right, and could find no difference (to my eyes). I mounted both on the M4 and shot a roll of K25 for the test.

 

Bryan

Link to post
Share on other sites

Bill's answer sums up my thoughts almost completely. I would like to point out more explicitly that, as regards lens selection per se, many photographers find focal length to be a very important variable in the set of variables that contribute to the end, the image. For myself it is the biggest initial consideration; it comes down to what focal length suits my needs in light of the way I am desiring to capture my vision at the time. Although I find 135mm and 35mm lenses to meet my needs on occasion, for the most part I find the way a 5cm lens captures a shot to suit my needs 9 out of 10 times. Therefore, with regard to lenses, the question for me is 'how do i see it and want to capture it'?

 

respectfully, thomas

Link to post
Share on other sites

Cool, I just wanted "best" in your own opinion. What you think is best for yourself.

 

 

There is no "best".

 

Nokton 50/1.5. :D

It beats any other ltm I have used.

Disclaimer: I have not used the mentioned recent limited production 'crom LTMs.

 

It is better in terms of resolution than my 50 M mount 'cron, but so is the ZM Planar 50/2.

Resolution is only one aspect of a decent image, and a small one.

 

Andreas

Link to post
Share on other sites

Albert,

 

Yes Leica did a limited edition run of LTM lenses - I saw a 35 recently on sale in London, s/h at £1350. Unfortunately they are attracting a premium price because of their relative rarity. Personally I think that Leica should offer some more, or even offer them as 'a la carte'. As we've seen through this forum there are a lot of us LTM users out there.

 

I agree with James in that there must be a market for a re-issue of a new LTM fit lens - for that matter, there must be a market for a new screw mount camera (lllH ?)as a limited edition, too - I could believe this could be what we would call a 'quick win' for Leica's marketing department, as I can't imagine a limited production run of either a camera or lenses (how about a 90mm ASPH this time ?) doing anything other than selling out.

 

 

Now if we then got on to the idea of an LTM camera equiped with a M8 sensor for B+W photography...(sound of patents being rustled in the distance...)

 

 

 

ps. Just seen two LTM limited editions on e-bay.co.uk used at about £830 each

Link to post
Share on other sites

Robert,

 

I like your ideas! If Leica can do a limited edition 0 series it's not unrealistic either. I'd love to see a new release lllf/g or even a lllf/g with an M mount? A digital version would be interesting....

 

A digital screw mount camera? Wow, Leica must really be hitting the rarity if they consider that route.

 

I wouldn't mind. For that form factor it would be an awesome deal.

Link to post
Share on other sites

They couldn't make a IIIg with an M mount without redesigning the body as the lens to film distance is greater than the M cameras. So you would just end up with another M camera. Nice as the IIIg is to look at and handle, the M series is more ergonomic, with one bigger eyepiece, three or four frames in the viewfinder and a single shutter dial to name but a few.

 

Bryan

Link to post
Share on other sites

They couldn't make a IIIg with an M mount without redesigning the body as the lens to film distance is greater than the M cameras. So you would just end up with another M camera.

Bryan

 

Bryan

 

If the lens to subject distance is greater on the screw camera, then that means there is more room to squeeze in a sensor and some circuitry.....whichever route they went, I bet there would be a ready market for a digital or analogue limited edition....!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Around the year 2000, maybe in 1999, Leica built the current Summicron 2/35asph, the current Summicron 2/50 and the then current Summilux 1.4/50 (not the asph) in LTM, allegedly 500 of each, all in chrome. The original request for these lenses apparently came from Japan, and many of the lenses were sold over there, but some found their way to the rest of the world.

 

In the late 1960s I was working for a camera dealers in Montreal, who were the Leica agent. I remember the Leica salesman coming in and offering to supply to order any of the lenses which were made in Midland in screw mount, at the same cost as the M mount. There weren't many posiibilities though, basically it was the 35mm Summicron (first type) and one or two others (90 Summicron?)

 

Gerry Young

Link to post
Share on other sites

They couldn't make a IIIg with an M mount without redesigning the body as the lens to film distance is greater than the M cameras. So you would just end up with another M camera. Nice as the IIIg is to look at and handle, the M series is more ergonomic, with one bigger eyepiece, three or four frames in the viewfinder and a single shutter dial to name but a few.

 

Bryan

 

LTM lenses work on M's, ok there is some thickness in the adaptor but it's only a mm or so, no big problem in making the mount that little bit thicker.

 

As for the M being more ergonomic, that's purely a matter of personal opinion. I and many others really appreciate the compactness of the LTM's especially for street shooting.

 

Whatever, I don't see Leica actually doing this, just its a nice wish as an LTM fan. But more lenses yes please.

Link to post
Share on other sites

James

 

I bet it would be easy for them to produce a lll series replica - rather as they have done with the O series - I bet they've even got the tooling / spares to hand in the factory !!

 

I'm still fascinated by the idea of putting a M8 sensor into a lll series shell - I wonder if the angles of incidence would work out, if the appropriate lens to sensor distance was maintained - and another question to ponder - could you 'code' an LTM lens if you were using it on a M8 with an adaptor ??? :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...